Windmill.



'Patented Dec. I2. |899.

C. PREJEAN.

WINDMILLL (Application tiled June 15, 189B.)

2 Sheets-8heet l.

No. 639,09l.

(No Model.)

No. 639,09I. Patented Dec. I'2, |899.

' C. PREJEAN.

WINDMILL.

(Applicatiun filed June 15, 1898.) (No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

irren STATES' FATENT Orman.

OLEOMER PREJEAN, OF MILTON, LOUISIANA.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,091, dated December12, 18975.

Application filed (Tune 15,1898. Serial No. 683,507. (No model.)

To all whom. 111': may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEOMER PREJEAN, of Milton, Vermilion parish,-Stateof Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWindmills, of which the fol1owing is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in that class of windmills in which aseries of blades or vanes are pivoted to a wheel arranged vertically andmounted upon a` horizontal axis having an extension provided with anexpansible tail or guide, the whole being mounted upon a stationarybase, so as to revolve horizontally.

My improvement relates specifically to the construction of the wheelproper, means for adjusting the pivoted blades or vanos to throw theminto or out of the wind, and the construction of the tail, whereby it isadapted to be expanded or closed corresponding to the position of theaforesaid blades or vanes forming part of the wheel proper.

The invention further includes various features and details, which arehereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, two sheets, Figure 1 is a side elevation,part being shown in section, of myimproved windmill as it ap pears whenthrown out of the wind. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section of a portion of thewheel proper. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isan ele vation of the windmill as it appears in operation. Fig. 6 is anenlarged horizontal section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is acrosssection on the line 7 7 of Fig. l. Fig. 8 is a face View of a lowerportion of the windmill. Fig. 9 is a vertical section on the line 9 9 ofFig. 1.

The windmill proper is mounted rotatably upon a suitable vertical tripodor frame 1, or rather upon a horizontal Acircular platform 2, (see Figs.1 and 2,) which is rigidly supported upon the aforesaid tripod. Thewheel proper is composed of a series of radial spokes 3, (seeV Fig. 2,)which are xed in a hub 4 and connected at their outer ends with acircular rim or band 5. Said hub 4 is fixed on the rotatable shaft 6, sothat the wheel proper revolves with the latter. To each of the aforesaidspokes 3 is pivoted a vane or a blade 7 which is triangular in form, theshorter side being next to the spoke and the longer side extendingfromthe hub 4 outward. On the hub 4 is mounted slidably a disk or plate 8,which is connected with all the blades 7 by means of a rigid curved arm9 and semicircular loop 10, as shown in detail, Fig. 3. Itis apparentthat if the disk 8 be adj usted nearer to or farther from the wheelproper the vanes or blades 7 will be adjusted correspondingly atdifferent angles to said wheel. This is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5,the blades 7 being shown in Fig. 1 as adjusted parallel to the shaft oraxis 6, Whereas in Fig. 5 they are adjusted at an acute angle to saidaxis or lapped one upon the other. In the first position, Fig. 1, the

blades 7 do not take the wind, or, in other are thrown into the wind, sothat it acts ef' fectively on them.

I will now describe the means for adjusting the blades through themedium of the slidable disk 8.

A ring or annular disk 11 (see Fig. 2) is arranged on the hub 4 andadapted to slide thereon, so as to be brought into contact with theaforesaid disk 8. Two bars 12 are fixed to said ring 11, and their rearends are connected with the lower end of a bifurcated lever 13. Thelatter is pivoted to a block 14, which forms a part of one of thebearings of the shaft 6. Said arms are guided in longitudinal grooves inthe aforesaid block 14. The upper end of said lever- 13 is provided withan eye, which adapts it for slidable connection with a rod 15, pivotedto an oscillating lever 16. Said rod 15 is provided with stops 17, whichlimit the throw of the lever 13. The lever 16 is practically T-shapedand is pivoted in a rigid support 1S, attached to the frame 19, in whichthe windmill-shaft 6 has its bearings. Cords 2O are attached to thelateral arms of the lever 16 and extend downward, as shown, so that theymay be used manually for adjusting the lever 16 in either of the twopositions shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The pendent arm of the lever 16 isconnected by rod 22 with a tubular slide 23, which is mounted on thetailpiece 24 of the wheel. The tail proper is composed (see Figs. 5 and6) of a series of blades or vanes 25,

IOO

Alike a fan.

which are pivoted to the tailpiece 24 in such manner that they areadapted to fold or open The said blades 25 are likewise connected by acord 26, which limits the expansion of the fan, as will be readilyunderstood. The main reason for constructing the tail to fold, as shownin Fig. 1, is to avoid danger of its being broken in high winds andanother is protection and economy of space in packing, shipping, andputting up the wheel. When the lever 16 is thrown into position shown inFig. 1, the windmill is thrown out of action, since the blades 7 of thewheel proper are then adjusted in parallelism to the axis or shaft 6 andthe tail-blades 25 are likewise folded and held in such position bymeans of the slide 23-that is to say, the levers 13 and 16 and rods 15and 22 constitute means for loosely connecting the wheel-vanes 7 andtail-vanes 25, whereby both sets of vanes must open and close together,and when the tail-vanes are folded, as shown in Fig. 1, the mill isinoperative, since the head or wheel proper cannot be thrown into thewind. When the slide 23 is moved outward, itincloses a portion of theshanks of the vane 25 and brings them into parallel position with thetailpiece 24. The throw or movement of the slide 23 is limited bya slot27, formed in the tailpiece 24, and a cross-pin 28, which is fixed inthe slide and works in the aforesaid slot. For the purpose of expandingthe tail-H vane, as shown in Fig. 5, the slide 23 is connected with theouter vanes or blades 26 by means of the pivoted links 29. 1t will beseen from Fig. 1 that the lever 13 is acted on by the rod 15, attachedto the lever 16, in such manner as to push the ring 11 outward orforward against the disk 8, which is in turn carried forward and heldfirmly in contact with the spokes 3 of the Wheel proper, whereby thevanes or blades 7 are held in the position required when the wheel is tobe thrown out of action. 1t will be further apparent that the form ofthe loops 10, attached to the respective blades 7, the same beingsemicircular or curved, as shown, and the slidable connection of thesame with the curved arms of the disk 8, enable the describedadjustments of the blades or vanes 7 to be readily effected.

When the lever 16 is thrown into the position shown in Fig. 5, the rearstop 17 on the rod 15 is brought in contact with the lever 13 and throwsthe upper end of the same forward, whereby the ring 11 is retracted, sothat the disk 8 is allowed to slide back on the hub 4, and the vanes7are then pressed back by the force of the wind, so as to overlap eachother in the manner shown in Fig. 5. At thesame time that thisadjustment is eifected the slide 23 is drawn forward by the rod 22, andthe tail vanes or blades 26 are thereby opened or expanded by thetraction of the links 29, connecting them with the slide. Th us by thesimple adjustment of the lever 16 as described the blades 7 of the wheelproper andthe blades 25, composing the tail, are simultaneously throwninto position for doing work or out of such position, as the case maybe. The cords 20, by which the adjustment is effected, are loosely woundupon the weighted ends of pivoted arms 30, as shown in Fig. 8, and theymay be further secured by winding them about fixed studs 31 for thepurpose of holding the lever 16 fixed in either adjustment. The saidarms 30 are pivoted together to a frame-piece 32, which is pendent fromthe rotatable portion of the wheel. The function of the arms is to holdthe ropes 2O in place.

The tailpiece 24 is pivoted to the horizontal extension 33 of therotatable frame, in which the wind-wheel shaft 6 has its bearing, andfor this purpose the said extension 33 is slotted or grooved, as shownin Fig. 1, and the front end of the tailpiece 24 is provided with a counterbalance-weight 34. The tailpiece 24 is pivoted to part 33 for thepurpose of allowing convenient adjustment and repair of the folding tailand for convenience in handling, shipping, and putting up the Wheel.

The frame portions of the wheel 19 and 33 are attached to a metal ring35, which tits on and rotates about a circular flange 36, (see Fig. 2,)which forms an integral portion of the metal platform 2. Exterior tosaid flange 36 there is formed a groove 37 for receiving balls 38, whichserve as an antifriction-bearing for the rotatable portion of the wheel,more especially for the ring 35, as shown in Fig. 4.

On the wheel-shaft 6 is mounted a sprocketwheel 39, and on thecrank-shaft 40, which is hung below the platform 2, is mounted a similarsprocket-wheel 41. A sprocket-chain 42 runs on said wheels, as shown,and rotation is thereby imparted from the shaft 6 to the crank-shaft 40,as will be readily understood. A pump-rod 43 extends downward from thecrank-shaft 40 in the usual way.

In place of employing the pump-rod I may extend the sprocket-chain downinto the well and provide it with a series of buckets, so that it mayoperate as an endless water-elevator. In such case the lower end of suchelevator would run on a sprocket-wheel fixed in the well, and a troughwould be suitably arranged within the tripod or frame 1 to receive thewater discharged by the buckets as they pass over the uppersprocket-wheel. I illustrate in Fig. 5 an attachment for utilizing thewind-wheel for other purposes than raising water-that is to say, I mounta pulley 44 on the crank-shaft 40, and a belt 45 runs thereon and alsoon another pulley 46, which is keyed on the shaft of a grindingmill 47,attached to the lower end of the pendent frame -piece 32. It will beseen that when the crank-shaft 40 is rotated the belt 45 will drive thegrinding-mill correspondingly. Y

1. In a windmill the combination with the expansible tail composed of aseries of pivoted blades or vanes adapted to open and close like a fan,of a slide which is connected with said vanes to open or close them,lever mechanism, and a means of connection between the same and theaforesaid slide, whereby the 1 latter may be adjusted, as specified.

2. In a windmill the combination with the tailpiece, and a series ofvanes pivoted thereto in the manner shown, whereby they may be foldedWith their shanks parallel to said tailpiece, a tubular slide whichworks on said tailpiece and is adapted to inclose the shanks of thevanes for holding them closed, and means for adjusting the slidelengthwise, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a windmill the combination with the hinged blades or Vanes formingpart of the wheel proper, and the pi voted blades or vanes composing thetail, of means for folding or opening the latter, and means for throwingthe wheel blades or vanes into or ont of the wind, the said means beingconnected with both sets of blades or vanes, and thereby adapted tooperate both simultaneously, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a windmill the combination, with the blades or vanes forming partof the wheel proper and the vanes or blades composing the tail, of thedescribed means for adjusting both sets of blades simultaneously, thesame consisting of a slidable disk having a slidable connection with thewheel-blades, a ring adapted to act on said disk for forcing it againstthe wheel, pivoted levers connected with said ring, a slide adapted toinclose the shanks of the tail-blades, rods connecting the lattertherewith, and a rod which connects the said slide with the levermechanism, substantially as shown and described.

5. n a windmill the combination, with the pivoted tail-blades, thetailpiece 24, having a lengthwise slot, of the adjustable slide 23,having a transverse pin which traverses-said slot, and means foradjusting said slide for opening or closing the tail, as shown anddescribed.

6. In a windmill the combination, with a horizontal extension formingpart of the rotatable portion of the mill, of the pivoted tailpiece, theexpansible tail, and the slide for adjusting the latter, also means foradjusting the slide on the tailpiece, s'ubstan tially as shown anddescribed.

CLEOMER PREJ EAN.

Witnesses:

F. Z. POWER, VALsIN CASTILLA.

